What is cloud computing? The best guide for beginners

Cloud computing is a revolutionary idea thanks to the internet that has opened wide opportunities for the worldwide usage of data with our own terms and conditions. The term cloud is coined because of its usage flexibility. In addition to this, cloud computing provides cost-effective operations with liberation from the set up of in-house IT infrastructure for data storage and access. 

Why the term Cloud Computing is famous these days?

The golden wrapper word, Cloud Computing has capabilities that were never seen before in the IT field. At the expense of some dollars, it enables data storage, computation and high-quality data maintenance with minimum efforts from the user.

It has been a need for all types of businesses to manage every day generated data effectively. It has reduced the basic requirement for data maintenance. Some of the most popular examples of cloud computing we are using nowadays are yahoo, Gmail, Hotmail, and many more.

Some of the major advantages of Cloud computing are as follows:

• High- quality performance
• Recovery and backup facility provided
• Up-to-date software 
• Low maintenance cost and easy to handle operations
• High-end compatibility between operating systems
• Boosted capacity of storage
• Data safety 
• Easily scalable system

The need for cloud computing depends on the area of application. The type of cloud computing varies as per the business requirements. Let us segregate the system as per business need:

• Public Cloud

In this system, the cloud system is owned by an organization which allows the customers to use the system. The organization may be government, a business or any institute. In it mostly incorporated for Business to the Consumer service model.

• Private Cloud

It is the most popular cloud computing system for an organization. It is used to communicate within an organization in order to make it more viable to grow. This type of system is used to synchronize the data within an organization.

• Community Cloud

A community is the sole owner of this type of cloud computing system. It helps to thrive the community in a faster and safer way with cost-effectiveness.

• Hybrid Cloud

It is the most accessible and complex type of system that is made up of different clouds together. The usability and other features of this system are highly advanced that it can support any complex group of systems.

Cloud Computing is incorporated in contemporary businesses as per the benefits it imparts. The types of Cloud Computing as per its characteristics are:

• SaaS

SaaS refers to Software As A Service. It is a set up that could be used for application hosting in a way that users connected with the internet can easily operate it. By the internet, any user from any corner of the world can access the data in the form of application.

Usually, in a world without Cloud Computing, the user has to purchase the software in order to get access to it. But, now it is just a subscription away.

SaaS is used for a variety of operations regularly being carried out in business as apart of manufacturing, servicing and accounting could be easily managed by SaaS.

It comes with a pay and use model,  that refrains the user from expensive system maintenance and acquisition.

The Cloud Computing System provider will manage to handle the infrastructural issues, and let the user buy, install and modify the software as per the need arise.

• PaaS

PaaS refers to Platform As A Service. It is an environment that facilitates the user to create and modify the application, that could be accessible by the internet. Cloud acts as host in this process. The ever-updating features of PaaS provide an ideal platform for application storage, deployment, and maintenance.

In other words, PaaS provides the infrastructure including server management and set up for the application. The main advantage of this system is environment provisioning and management of the tasks running behind to support the application.

It expands the users to focus on the core values of the business and ultimately generates more customer satisfaction. The increased productivity of the team will make the process of development faster and smoother.

• IaaS

IaaS refers to Infrastructure As A Service. The system behaves like a resource that provides infrastructural support to the system. Concept od IaaS in Cloud Computing is a boon for small business owners who are unable to spend a huge amount of hardware installation and management. IT infrastructures like network connections, hard-drives, virtual server space, and load balancers could be managed by IaaS. 

An important measure of Cloud Computing

While a company decides to use services of Cloud Computing as a smart choice, they need to keep an eye on the security of information as well. There are chances that the cloud service provider decides to sneak peek into the data stored in their virtual space. There might be some unencrypted strategical data that a company would not like to share with any outsider. 

In addition to this, sometimes the governments may break privacy policies and dig into the data in order to find some information without taking permission from the data owner. It may cause severe privacy breach.

To avoid such situations, the data owner has to be careful while accessing the cloud computing service.

As we have learned about it so far. We need to take a look at the disadvantages of cloud computing.

Disadvantages of Cloud Computing

It is not necessary that every user will experience all of them. But, for a better understanding, one needs to just note them down.

• Downtime is a major concern while opting for one of the cloud computing services. In due course of time, it is seen that the downtime may cause severe financial damage to the organization. Because of its dependency on the internet, the undesirable possibilities are always there.
• A strong possibility of virus attack is the hidden side of service. There may be some security and privacy issues if the system is not managed well. While designing the system, one should never compromise with the safety of data/information, still, if the system is designed with the utmost security, preventive strategies must be kept handy. 
• The owner of the data may experience less controlling power and flexibility in a cloud-hosted environment. Depending on the service provider, the system user could have less flexibility compared to in-house infrastructure.

Conclusion:

Cloud Computing gifts a golden opportunity for those who want advanced features at the least cost. While choosing one of the cloud computing service providers, the owner has to keep in mind the essential data security policies. The usage capabilities of cloud computing for the better of mankind are endless.